NHL – Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz dies at age 70
Rocky Wirtz, who won three Stanley Cup titles as owner of the Chicago Blackhawks and presided over the team during one of the NHL’s biggest scandals, has died. He was 70. The Blackhawks called Wirtz’s death a “sudden passing.” No further details were provided. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release that the league was “deeply saddened” by Wirtz’s death. Wirtz took over the team in 2007 and the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. But his tenure as owner was tarnished when an outside law firm found that the organization badly mishandled allegations by a player who said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach.
MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Los Angeles Angels 7, Detroit Tigers 6 – 10 Innings
Chicago Cubs 7, Chicago White Sox 3
Angels 7, Tigers 6 – F/10 – Shohei Ohtani scores 2 runs, Angels beat Tigers 7-6 in 10th after blowing lead in 9th
Shohei Ohtani had two walks and two runs, Mickey Moniak hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the 10th inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 7-6 on Tuesday night after blowing a four-run lead in the ninth inning. Ohtani is potentially in his last week with the Angels. The franchise has to decide whether to risk losing the 29-year-old two-way star in free agency or trade him ahead of the trade deadline next Tuesday. Angels general manager Perry Minasian has said it’s highly unlikely the team will trade Ohtani if it remains in playoff contention. Los Angeles, which has been hovering around .500, has improved its standing in the AL wild-card race by winning six of seven games.
Cubs 7, White Sox 3 – Dansby Swanson homers twice as the streaking Cubs beat the crosstown White Sox 7-3
Dansby Swanson homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Chicago Cubs beat the crosstown White Sox 7-3 for their fourth consecutive victory. Christopher Morel and Nico Hoerner also connected for the Cubs, and Kyle Hendricks pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning. Swanson and Hoerner each had three hits, and Hoerner had two of the team’s five stolen bases. The 49-51 Cubs won for the sixth time in seven games overall, putting them firmly on the bubble ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Tonight
L.A. Angels (Sandoval 5-7) at Detroit (Lorenzen 5-6), 6:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:15
Chicago Cubs (Stroman 10-7) at Chicago White Sox (Lynn 6-9), 8:10 p.m.
MLB – Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol takes blame for team’s struggles
With the Chicago White Sox moving toward a sell-off at next week’s trade deadline, manager Pedro Grifol is taking the blame for the team’s disappointing performance. Grifol struck an optimistic tone after he was hired in November, but it hasn’t worked out very well in his first season as a major league skipper. After winning the AL Central in 2021 and going 81-81 last year, the White Sox have dropped four in a row and 12 of 16 overall to fall to 41-61 in 2023. The White Sox got Yoán Moncada back before the series against the Cubs. The third baseman was reinstated from the 10-day injured list, and catcher Carlos Pérez was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.
MLB – Ohtani buzz dominates MLB trade deadline, even if smaller deals are more likely
MLB’s trade deadline is rapidly approaching on Aug. 1 and with less than a week remaining, it’s sometimes hard to figure out which teams are the buyers and which are the sellers. Could two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani be on the move from the Angels? Could the Mets and Padres — two hugely disappointing teams with the some of the game’s highest payrolls — really turn into sellers? Few scenarios seem too far-fetched. The sport’s expanded 12-team playoff bracket, which was introduced last season, means that at least 20 teams have legitimate playoff aspirations more than halfway through the season.
NCAAMBB – Bronny James, son of LeBron, in stable condition after cardiac arrest at USC
Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, is hospitalized in stable condition a day after going into cardiac arrest while participating in a basketball practice at the University of Southern California. A family spokesman said USC medical staff treated the 18-year-old James on Monday at Galen Center after he went into cardiac arrest and he was transported to a hospital. The spokesman said James was in stable condition Tuesday after leaving the intensive care unit. James was one of the nation’s top high school prospects and is an incoming freshman with the Trojans.
WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night
Las Vegas Aces 107, Chicago Sky 95
Los Angeles Sparks 79, Indiana Fever 78
Aces 107, Sky 95 – Plum, Wilson and Gray each score 20-plus points, Aces top the Sky 107-95
Kelsey Plum had 27 points and six assists, A’ja Wilson added 24 points and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 107-95 for their sixth straight victory. Chelsea Gray had 22 points, six rebounds and nine assists for Las Vegas (22-2). Kiah Stokes grabbed 17 rebounds to go with six points. Las Vegas is 6-0 since Candace Parker was sidelined before the All-Star break. The Aces announced Monday that Parker underwent successful surgery on a fracture in her left foot and is out indefinitely. Wilson made 6 of 8 field goals in the first quarter and scored 13 points to help Las Vegas lead 30-26. Wilson had 15 points at halftime and Plum added 13 as Las Vegas led 55-45 after shooting 54% from the field.
Sparks 79, Fever 78 – Jordin Canada hits a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left, Sparks end 8-game skid
Nneka Ogwumike had 30 points and eight rebounds, Jordin Canada made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Sparks ended an eight-game losing streak with a 79-78 victory over the Indiana Fever. Los Angeles scored seven of the final nine points to secure its first victory since beating Dallas in back-to-back games in late June. Ogwumike grabbed a loose ball in the paint and scored to pull Los Angeles within 78-76 with 38.1 seconds left. Indiana worked down the clock but Victoria Vivians was off on a long 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock. After Canada sank a contested 3-pointer, Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell had a good look from the top of the 3-point arc but it didn’t hit the rim.
NCAAFB – Northwestern players opt to forgo Big Ten media days in wake of scandals
Northwestern will not have any players at the Big Ten’s annual media days this week after the three who were scheduled to attend opted Tuesday to back out because of hazing scandals that have engulfed the school. Linebacker Bryce Gallagher, defensive back Rod Heard II and receiver Bryce Kirtz said in a statement they made the “very difficult” decision after consulting with interim coach David Braun, their parents and teammates. Each school usually sends three players and the head coach to the two-day event to field questions about the upcoming season from reporters. Gallagher, Heard and Kirtz were to be available on Wednesday. Braun is still scheduled to address the media.
NCAAFB – Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh facing 4-game suspension
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is facing a four-game suspension for breaking NCAA rules. That is according to a person with knowledge of a proposed settlement between the school and NCAA enforcement who spoke with The Associated Press. The agreement between the coach, school and governing body is not finalized. Michigan received notice earlier this year that the NCAA was looking into potential rules infractions in the Harbaugh-led program. The investigation involved impermissible texts and calls to high school prospects during part of a pandemic-related dead period for contact with potential recruits.
NCAAFB – Johnny Lujack, Heisman winner, 3 time national champion at ND, dies at 98
Johnny Lujack, the Heisman Trophy winner who led Notre Dame to three national championships in the 1940s, died in Florida following a brief illness. He was 98. Lujack’s death was confirmed by his granddaughter, Amy Schiller. She said he had entered hospice care recently after having been in good health until a couple of weeks ago. Lujack is considered one of the greatest Notre Dame players of all time, having won the Heisman in 1947 and leading the Irish to national titles in 1943, 1946 and 1947. He was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, where he played four seasons.
NCAAFB – Notre Dame strength and conditioning coach resigns for personal reasons
Notre Dame says strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis has resigned for personal reasons. The move comes the day before the Fighting Irish begin preparation for the upcoming football season. Balis, whose official title was director of football performances, has led Notre Dame football’s strength and conditioning program since 2017. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman says Fred Hale, who has worked as one of Balis’ assistants, will lead the strength and conditioning program.
NCAA – Manchin, Tuberville introduce college sports bill to standardize NIL rules
Senators Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduced a college sports bill that would require athletes to disclose how much they money make from name, image and likeness deals, regulate collectives and agents and put restrictions in transferring players. The bipartisan action is the second to come out of the Senate in the last week. Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, along with Republican Jerry Moran from Kansas put forth a draft bill of potential legislation to standardize NIL rules for college athletes.
NFL –Dan Campbell says he’s ‘all for’ Lions signing Teddy Bridgewater to add depth at QB
The Detroit Lions hosted Teddy Bridgewater for a visit this week and are interested in potentially signing the free agent quarterback. Dan Campbell says if the team can add a guy like Bridgewater and bring competition, he’s “all for it.” Bridgewater met with team officials and coaches on Monday and Campbell acknowledged the visit on Tuesday. Jared Goff is Detroit’s starting quarterback and backups Nate Sudfeld and rookie Hendon Hooker don’t have much experience. Bridgewater has started at least one game in seven of his eight seasons in the NFL.
NFL – GM Ryan Poles won’t put ‘ceiling’ on Bears after team hit bottom last season
General manager Ryan Poles wouldn’t put a limit on how high the Chicago Bears can climb coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history. He says the goal “is always to win the division and be a championship-caliber team.” The Bears reported to training camp ready to take the next step as they try to climb out of the NFL’s cellar. They set a franchise record for losses and dropped the final 10 games to finish with a league-worst 3-14 record last season. But with training camp starting, there is optimism and intrigue in Chicago. It starts with quarterback Justin Fields and the moves the Bears made to help him improve as a passer.
NFL – Colts are content playing waiting game with Richardson at quarterback
The Indianapolis Colts want rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson to play this season. They won’t rush him onto the field, though. One day after Richardson agreed to a four-year contract worth $34 million, he arrived at his first NFL training camp with big expectations — and a team initially content to play the waiting game. General manager Chris Ballard says new coach Shane Steichen and his staff will make the decision when Richardson is ready. Running back Jonathan Taylor also reported on time despite his complaints with contract negotiations and how he believes the league values the position.
NFL – Saquon Barkley, Giants settle on 1-year deal worth up to $11 million
Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants settled on a contract for the star running back just in time for training camp, with him signing a one-year contract worth up to $11 million. The Giants have confirmed Barkley signed his franchise tag. A person close to the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the deal adds $909,000 in incentives to the $10.1 million Barkley will earn playing under the franchise tag. It came on the day players reported to training camp in New Jersey and a day before they started practice for the 2023 season.
NBA – Jaylen Brown, Celtics agree to 5-year supermax deal worth up to $304 million
Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown has agreed to terms on a five-year supermax contract that will pay him up to $304 million. It’s the richest deal in NBA history. It surpasses the $264 million deal signed by Nuggets center Nikola Jokic last summer. The two-time All-Star averaged career highs of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season. By virtue of making the All-NBA second team for the first time, he was eligible for the supermax extension.
FIFA – 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
Yesterday
Philippines 1, New Zealand 0
Switzerland 0, Norway 0 – Draw
Today
Japan 2, Costa Rica 0
Spain vs. Zambia, 3:30 a.m.
Canada vs. Ireland, 8:00 a.m.
United States vs. Netherlands, 9:00 p.m.
MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night
Fort Wayne 4, West Michigan 1
Dayton 3, Great Lakes 2
Quad Cities 3, Lansing 1
South Bend 7, Peoria 6
Tonight
Fort Wayne Tin Caps at West Michigan Whitecaps, 12:05 p.m.
Dayton Dragons at Great Lakes Loons, 7:05 p.m.
Lansing Lugnuts at Quad Cities River Bandits, 7:30 p.m.
South Bend Cubs at Peoria Chiefs, 7:35 p.m.
